Rail-joint.



PATENTED NOV. 3, 1903.

I No. 743,172.

J. KAUFMAN.

RAIL JOINT.

UNITED STATES Patented November 3, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

RAIL-JOINT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 743,172, dated November3, 1903.

' Application filed September 9. 1903. Serial No. 172,474. (No model.)

T ail whom if; may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN KAUFMAma citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at Leetsdale, in the county of Allegheny and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inRail-Joints, of which the following is a specification, reference beinghad therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements inrail-joints, the object of the invention being to provide effectivemeans for .joining the ends of the rails together without the use of theordinary fishplates and bolts.

Briefly described, the invention consists in constructing the ends ofthe rails whereby they will match when brought together, the tread andweb of one end of the rail being extended beyond the base and the basehaving a groove of substantially inverted-V shape therein, the matchingend of the adjacent rail having its tread and web cut away and the baseextended beyond the end of the tread and web and the base carrying acentral extension substantially triangular in cross-section to fit inthe groove in the base of the matching rail.

In describing the invention in detail reference is had to theaccompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification,and whereinlike characters of reference indicate like parts throughout the severalviews,in which Figure 1 is a detail perspective view of a part of theend of a rail. Fig. 2 is a like view of the matching end of the engagingrail. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the rails joined together. Fig. i isan underneath plan view of the same.

In the accompanying drawings, A represents the end of one rail, and Bthe end of the matching or engaging. rail. The rail A has its tread 1and web 2- extended beyond the end of the base 3, the latter being cutaway to effect this extension, and this base at the end thereof isprovided with a central longitudinal groove at, substantially of aninverted- V-shape form. The rail B has the base 5 thereof extendedbeyond the end of the tread 6 and web 7, and extending from the forwardend of the base5 is a tongue 8, substantially triangular incross-section,whereby to fit with and match neatly in the groove orrecess 4 in thebase 3. When the rail B is laid, the rail A is matchedtherewith, the extending end of the tread l and web 2 fitting in thecutaway portion above the base 5 at the end of tread 6 and web 7, andthe tongue 8 fits neatly in the groove 4. The rails maythen be spikeddown in the ordinary manner to the cross-ties.

It will be noted that various changes may be made in the details ofconstruction without departing from the general spirit of my invention.

Having fully described my invention,what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

' The combination of the matching ends of the rails, one of which railshas its tread and web cut away and the base of which carries acentrally-arranged longitudinally-extending tongue, substantiallytriangular in crosssection, the end of the matching rail having its basecut away whereby the extending end of the tread and web will fit in thecut-away portion of the first-mentioned rail,said matching rail having agroove in its base directly underneath the web to receive the extensioncarried by the base of the first-mentioned rail, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

' JOHN KAUFMAN.

Witnesses:

A. M. WILsoN, K. H. BUTLER.

